182 



URARINAS. 



cultivation of coca has commenced in the province of Cercado, and it 

 is also found in a wild state, as well as the Peruvian bark, on the 

 mountains of Samaripata. As we have already said, fruits abound in 

 this region. They cultivate there principally oranges, lemons, citrons, 

 figs, papaws, pomegranates, melons, watermelons, chirimoyas, (which 

 the Brazilians call fruto de conde^) pine-apples, &c. The last of these 

 fruits grow wild, and in great abundance, in the woods of Chiquitos. 

 We met it, particularly the evening of our arrival, at Santa Ana. Its 

 taste is excellent ; but it leaves in the mouth such a burning sensation 

 that I bitterly repented having tasted it. They cultivate in sufficient 

 abundance, in the province, jalap, Peruvian bark, sarsaparilla, vanilla, 

 rocou, copahu, ipecacuanha, cooutchone, copal, <fcc. Woods for dyeing, 

 cabinet-making, and building, abound ; and the people of the country 

 collect carefully a multitude of gums, roots, and barks, to which they 

 attribute medicinal virtues the most varied. In many points in the 

 departments, and especially in the provinces of Valle Grande and Cor- 

 dilleras, iron is found, and traces of quicksilver. Gold is found in the 

 province of Cercado, near the village of San Xavier. The Jesuits 

 wrought mines of silver in the mountains of Colchis. Don Sebastian 

 Eancas, while governor of Chiquitos, announced to the government that 

 diamonds, of very fine water, had been found in the streams in the envi- 

 rons of Santo Corason" 



September 4. — The shores of the river are low, but abrupt. The 

 lower strata next to the water's edge are of sand, hardening into rock 

 from the superincumbent pressure of the soil with its great trees. There 

 were a great many porpoises sporting in the river. At 3 p. m. we 

 passed the narrow arm of the river that runs by Urarinas, a small 

 village situated on the left bank. The channel inside the island seemed 

 nearly dry. Ijurra, however, passed through it in a small canoe, and 

 bought some fowls and a small monkey at the pueblo. The channel of 

 the river runs near the right bank. Population of Urarinas, eighty. 



September 5. — The patos reales, a large and beautiful species of duck 

 with which the river abounds, are now breeding. We saw numbers of 

 pairs conducting their broods over the water. Though the young ones 

 could not fly, they could dive so long and fast that we could not catch 

 them. I brought home a pair of these ducks, and find that they answ T er 

 exactly to the description of the Egyptian goose. They have small 

 horns on their wings. 



We met canoes of Tarapoto from the Ucayali, with salt fish ; also 

 one belonging to Urarinas, returning from carrying sarsaparilla to 

 Nauta. 



